Notebooks with Backlit keyboards

[imported_yosho]

Anyone know of a top of the line notebook maker with backlit keyboard? No Apples please.

Please suggest model line, etc.

Thanks,.

 

[jdiddy]

Apples are the only laptop that I've ever come across that has a lit keyboard. IBM Thinkpads have something similar called a Thinklight. Its a bright LED thats on the top of the lcd that shines down onto the keyboard. It works pretty well. Good Luck on your search.

 

[trikster2]

cracks me up how everyone wants apple features, but they don't want apples.

 

[fbrdphreak]

That's 'cuz people don't want to pay a premium for an OS that is only more stable & secure than Windows if you're an internet BOOB or if you're one of those coffee-housing loving, beret-wearing, iPod-carrying "special" people walking around college campuses.

 

[dr150]

Just buy a pen light that's available for lappys. Apple ain't worth the premium for a backlit keyboard that's engineered to ultimately break down.

 

[halfadder]

Originally posted by: dr150
Just buy a pen light that's available for lappys. Apple ain't worth the premium for a backlit keyboard that's engineered to ultimately break down.

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about there. I'm a few weeks away from a year and a half of very hard use on my PowerBook and it looks and feels just like the day I bought it. It's been opened and closed at least 3x a day, been on several vacations, gobs of business trips, and comes to work with me every day.

I'm mostly a WinXP guy, but I like the PowerBook and Mac OS X. I use a mixture of the GUI and the command line as I'm slowly learning unix. It's been fun and interesting.

 

[kitkit201]

Originally posted by: halfadder

Originally posted by: dr150
Just buy a pen light that's available for lappys. Apple ain't worth the premium for a backlit keyboard that's engineered to ultimately break down.

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about there. I'm a few weeks away from a year and a half of very hard use on my PowerBook and it looks and feels just like the day I bought it. It's been opened and closed at least 3x a day, been on several vacations, gobs of business trips, and comes to work with me every day.

I'm mostly a WinXP guy, but I like the PowerBook and Mac OS X. I use a mixture of the GUI and the command line as I'm slowly learning unix. It's been fun and interesting.

I second that commotion. My powerbook has been kicking for 1 year now.. no problems.. My 600m dell though... that's another story.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Nobody said Macs were low quality PC's. But it stands that they are expensive and unless you have specific software you want to use with them (i.e. video editing), it really isn't worth the hassle to switch over and find all the software you want that you used on your PC. My $0.02

 

[sparkyclarky]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
That's 'cuz people don't want to pay a premium for an OS that is only more stable & secure than Windows if you're an internet BOOB or if you're one of those coffee-housing loving, beret-wearing, iPod-carrying "special" people walking around college campuses.

Your rant carries no weight to it, considering Anand himself stated that after extensive use of both, the Mac was a bit more stable than Windows. No, the difference isn't earth shattering, but their is a difference. And I'd like to know exactly how a product being trendy makes it any less of a viable product? Not to mention that a fair ammount of the premium payed for a powerbook is for the industrial design, which has few, if any peers in the PC world (little conveniences such as the backlit keyboards, stock DVI out, beautiful case, slot loading drives, etc.). Sure, others may have a feature here and there to match, but rarely does a competitor come out with a product to match or beat the overall package.

If you need certain windows apps or are simply more comfortable with windows, that's great! But that doesn't devalue Apple's products in the least bit.

 

[crabbyman]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Nobody said Macs were low quality PC's. But it stands that they are expensive and unless you have specific software you want to use with them (i.e. video editing), it really isn't worth the hassle to switch over and find all the software you want that you used on your PC. My $0.02

*cough*limewire*cough*


Excuse me...

I'm a poor college boy...my PC broke down after a year of use...go figure...so I decided to get a laptop. For the price and features..the iBook is hard to beat...next time I am splurging and going for a Powerbook. I hope they give the 12" the fiber optic keys soon. *drools*

 

[uOpt]

The light on the Thinkpads is only half as cool but works well enough for the same purpose. Even my R40 has it.

Note that the ibooks and the small powerbooks do not have the backlight keyboard.

 

[tata]

or buy a usb port light

 

[hopejr]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
That's 'cuz people don't want to pay a premium for an OS that is only more stable & secure than Windows if you're an internet BOOB or if you're one of those coffee-housing loving, beret-wearing, iPod-carrying "special" people walking around college campuses.

ROFL. I can say that I walk around campus with an iPod and an iBook, but I'm not the only one, and in no way consider myself "special". There's more an more people at colleges realising the value of Apple notebooks, that the iBook isn't expensive for what it comes with. They're less than $1000 and have decent features for goodness sake (not to mention decent bundled software that isn't this trial version crap you get from other brands).
There's more to OS X than just its stability and security. I still own a PC running Windows that is secure and stable, because I know how to look after my machine. But since getting a mac and using OS X for the past 7 months, I prefer it by far (and it's not the so-called eye candy either that attracts me. I just find them easier to use - don't get me wrong, I'm a Windows power user of 10 years).

 

[trungthiendo]

for a college student who is only looking to do work, the ibook/powerbook is a very sweet solution.

in the end it depends on what you need.

i myself settled for tablet since i know it comes in handy when taking notes i math and physics

 

[fbrdphreak]

ROFL. I can say that I walk around campus with an iPod and an iBook, but I'm not the only one, and in no way consider myself "special". There's more an more people at colleges realising the value of Apple notebooks, that the iBook isn't expensive for what it comes with. They're less than $1000 and have decent features for goodness sake (not to mention decent bundled software that isn't this trial version crap you get from other brands).
There's more to OS X than just its stability and security. I still own a PC running Windows that is secure and stable, because I know how to look after my machine. But since getting a mac and using OS X for the past 7 months, I prefer it by far (and it's not the so-called eye candy either that attracts me. I just find them easier to use - don't get me wrong, I'm a Windows power user of 10 years).

All very good points, I'm glad you saw my sarcasm for what it was & didn't get offended
For JUST regular college student usage, an iBook isn't a bad idea. Internet is safe and easy, no constant thread of bugs, and the common software is available. Not a bad choice to the average user at all; I guess I'm biased by having to be on the forefront of technology

 

[Samus]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
That's 'cuz people don't want to pay a premium for an OS that is only more stable & secure than Windows if you're an internet BOOB or if you're one of those coffee-housing loving, beret-wearing, iPod-carrying "special" people walking around college campuses.

To sum it up he's talking about Yuppies.

Mac owners, like me, aren't yuppies because we own MAC's. I have a 12" iBook G4, use it every day, and have beat the crap out of it over the past year. I can do anything on it. I can run Windows XP, if I need too. I surf the net, email, play Halo (quite well too) and even rip DVD's...as fast as my Athlon 64 I might add.

 

[hopejr]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
All very good points, I'm glad you saw my sarcasm for what it was & didn't get offended

lol, no problem

 

[imported_yosho]

dang ... yall are turning this into an apple vs pc shootout...

I just am trying to find a solid PC laptop that has a backlit keyboard like the Apples!

I work at lot in dark places and dont wanna have to connect some special doohicky just to see my KB. I mean come on, if Apple can do it, why can't the dozens of PC laptop mfgrs do it.

And no I have nothing against Apple.. its just not the right machine for my needs.

So back on topic please!

 

[Moe Madness]

plenty of people have already replied to your original question with 3 letters:

IBM.

if you want quality, go with them. you'll never look back.

 

[imported_yosho]

theyre saying ibm has a laptop with some sort of light that shines on the KB, not a backlit kb.. but ill chk it out